


Wishes and Dreams

by unintentionalgenius



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-29
Updated: 2011-12-29
Packaged: 2017-10-28 10:06:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/306739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unintentionalgenius/pseuds/unintentionalgenius
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the aftermath of the Pool Incident, Sherlock is haunted by nightmares.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wishes and Dreams

Sherlock shoots straight up in bed, John’s name on his lips, his quaking voice broadcasting his inner agony. John is there, almost immediately. He sinks down on the bed beside Sherlock, wrapping gentle arms around thin, trembling shoulders. He strokes Sherlock’s hair, rubs his back. He holds him in his arms, comforting him. With John right next to him, Sherlock can forget the flames, forget the water rushing, rushing everywhere, stealing the air from around him, stealing John’s hand from his grasp. He can forget the pain, when he first came out of the water and John was still under it. He can forget that Moriarty is still alive. John reminds Sherlock to breathe, in and out, in and out, slowly, that’s right, I’m here, you're safe, it’s just you and me. John’s touch is comforting and warm. It doesn’t steal the heat from his body like the cold pool did. His voice is soft and deep. It doesn’t remind him at all of the shrill lilt of Moriarty’s taunts. With John holding him, rocking him to sleep, humming some soft lullaby, Sherlock isn’t afraid anymore. His friend is right here, and there’s no need to be afraid because he hasn’t lost him at all, it’s just a nightmare. John starts to tell him something; says his name. But now Sherlock can’t hear John very well, can’t understand the words he’s speaking, and the room is growing cold and it is getting hard to breathe and suddenly Sherlock is awake and he blinks back the tears because as wonderful as his dream was, as much as he loves being able to pretend he isn’t gone, it makes waking up to an empty flat that much harder. When he cries this time, there is no one to hear, and when he sobs John’s name, no one comes.


End file.
